What Can You Tell Us About Networks Today?

Sara Miller McCune is the founder and executive chairman of SAGE Publishing. Committed to supporting the scholarly study of all aspects of our social world – especially those seeing great change – she is seeking input from the Social Science space website community about the state of networks today.
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Sara Miller McCune

For about 40 years after SAGE began its existence in 1965, I heard from experts in social network analysis that networks which did not include face-to-face interaction between members at least three or four times a year fell apart after some period of time. I am wondering if this is still true today?

What does more recent research (especially research from the 21st century, and/or research taking into account the influence of social media) tell us about networks?

Are there differences between the sizes of networks (10 to 50 people, a few hundred people, 2,500 folks, 10,000 or more)? Are there differences if these networks are embedded in different types of organizational environments(i.e. businesses, universities, non-profit organizations)? How about among different age groups?

I’d appreciate your answers to these questions and your insights into the state and future of networks. Please write me at the email below. Your answers may appear in some form on this website, so please make it clear if you don’t want your answer to be made public.